Without pics, we're all just guessing, but since we have established that these are external pits... if there had been some attempt at repairing or filling them, they would not be pits anymore, but instead they would be filled pits. So if you still have craters with a silver halo around them, I wonder if someone didn't attempt to fill them with solder or something, and it fell back out due to poor cleaning, fluxing, or improper temperature. Just guessing at this point.
And I'm asking because I don't know... if Krakow Kid did attempt to have these pits filled by TIG or Laser welding, would filling those pits likely make things stronger or weaker? Specifically, I'm wondering if the heat affected zone would have a change in metallurgy or hardness, or if that would only be a concern with higher carbon or alloy steels rather than what is most likely low carbon steel and soft iron Damascus or twist.
Good advice Miller, on starting very low with any back-yard American Proofing.
